Policy and Systems

Qualification Requirements

Only qualified employees can receive benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. A new benefit year begins every July 1. To qualify for benefits in a benefit year, you must have creditable railroad earnings in the preceding calendar year (base year), counting no more than a certain amount in any month. In addition, a new employee must have railroad service in at least 5 months of his or her first year of work in order to be eligible for benefits in the following benefit year.

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Introduction

If you are sick or injured, you may be eligible to receive sickness benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). This booklet provides information about the requirements for receiving sickness benefits, the amount of benefits payable, and procedures for claiming benefits.

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Sickness Benefits for Railroad Employees

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Checking Your Benefits by Telephone or Online

You can obtain detailed information about your unemployment benefit payments and claims at any time, by calling our national automated telephone service. Calling this number gives you access to:

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Important Reminders

Filing Requirements - To avoid losing unemployment benefits, your benefit application must be received by a Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) office within 30 days of the first day for which you want to claim benefits. Your unemployment claims must be filed within 15 days of the last day of the claim or 15 days from the date we mail the form to you, whichever is later.

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Medical Evidence

When you apply for any type of disability benefit, it is your responsibility to prove to the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) that you are permanently disabled (see Part V, Item 5, for the definition of permanently disabled). You must provide or tell us about any evidence which may show that you are disabled.

How to Furnish Evidence

You may furnish medical evidence in 3 ways:

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Application Forms

To receive the disability benefits described in this publication, you must file an application form. This section will explain the forms you need for the disability benefit for which you are filing.

Disability Annuity

To receive monthly disability annuity payments, Form AA-17b, "Application for Determination of Widow(er)'s Disability", must be filed along with Form AA-17, "Application for Widow(er)'s Annuity". Form G-251, "Vocational Report", is also required if you have ever worked.

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Part I - General Information

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Widow(er)'s Disability Benefits

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Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

To receive unemployment benefits, you must complete an application and claim form(s). Estimates of how long we think it takes to complete these forms are shown below. The estimates include time for reviewing the instructions, getting the needed information, and reviewing the completed form. Federal agencies may not conduct or sponsor, and respondents are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB number.

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